Planning For Circle Time

[Guest]

Dear all,

 

it is this part of the year when singing twinkle twinkle star gets louder and louder and one single mono tone.

 

I need to revive our circle time any suggestions would be wonderful.

 

All the children sit together - pushing and climbing on each other

we sing the good morning song - days of the week - where is your name - and a selection of songs action and verbal - we include childrens favs but it LACKS A BUZZZ

 

PLEASE CAN YOU HELP!!

[Sue R]

Hmm - know the picture!

 

Could you try leaving it for a bit? I mean, don't do it - or make it a story or a show and tell?

[Guest]

I know you are probably wondering not this again,

 

what do you do?????

Share your good practise

[Panders]

There is an article in the EYE this month about Circle Time, one of their suggestions is to use your parachute (assuming you have one!) to play games with the children, so putting shapes under the parachute and choosing a child to find one and retrieve it before the parachute comes down on them!

 

I only play games at circle time - or sing, I don't do the PSED sort of things, so we would like to play something like that

 

 

I think the problem with circle time is that it needs to be short and punchy and not have the children sitting really - or not for any longer than 5 minutes. Find active ways to do the things you want, rather than passive ways, because that's when the children's attention gives way and you get the pushing, shoving negative behaviour.

 

Split up some of the things you feel you must do throughout your session in different ways, days of the week could be a song you sing at the end of the session to introduce the idea of when you will all meet again i.e. tomorrow which is ........day.

 

Their names are probably already out for self-registration time in the morning, possibly at snack time, do they need to do those again in a formal way during the session. We play a name game now and again, I choose some of the children names and stick them to my forehead and I have to guess who it is from their clues, or the children have to identify their own names which I hold up and then try to think of something or someone else who begins with the same sound. - but I might play that game before I read the story at the end of the morning.

 

Long winded I know, but I think what I am saying is, mix it up a bit, be slightly unpredictable, and have 2 or 3 little get togethers during the morning rather than expecting them to do more in one "sitting"

Edited March 1, 2010 by Panders

[Guest]

yes I saw that article too = I think that is why I needed inspiration from others tooo.

 

What sort of games do you play?????

[Panders]

One game, we played it today infact, is the bean bag game. It does start on the floor with all the children sitting with a bean bag, then I very quietly say can you put your bean bag on your head, under your foot, between your knees, etc. using as many position words as I can come up with, (when the children are proficient at playing this game, they each take a turn to suggest where to put the bean bag next). Then we stand up, the children put the bean bag in front of them, step over it, I ask where it is, (behind), they put it on their shoulder, or head and walk around with it, bending down (I think some of this was adapted from a sticky kids tape!!) we finish with putting it on top of our foot and trying to walk with on there and then flipping it up and catching it.

 

The beanbags then all get put in one big pile and I invite the children to tell me how many bean bags they think we have, they then count as I put the bean bags back in the box.

[Guest]

Thank you panders,

[Guest]

need more ideas please

[green hippo]

We use the tumble-tots CDs with lots of actions songs (we do this first thing as we can't avoid carpet-time at this time), we play the keys game (set of keys in middle with one child who closes eyes, another child 'steals' the keys and the child in the middle has to guess who has stolen them), we do ring games, play some 'letters and sounds games' such as 'I spy someone whose name begins with ...', all swap if... (e.g. you're wearing black socks) and sometimes do drawing partners.

Is it possible for you to split into 2 or 3 smaller groups as this can make circle-time a bit easier - especially if it's a taking turns game.

Green Hippo x

[nickylear]

Hi

 

I've tried some of the things attached but not all of them. I can't remember where I had it from either, hope it's of use.

 

nicky

circle_time_games.doc

Edited March 1, 2010 by nickylear

[Guest]

we are in one large hall - i did try to separate the older children with the younger ones but because we use the same area - it got a bit who could sing the loudest.

 

do the children sit on chairs or floor

[green hippo]

Our children usually sit on the floor but we do have a carpeted area. I was thinking of buying those round mats from IKEA for children to sit on when we take groups to different area which isn't carpeted. Also may encourage children to 'stay on their spot!'. We sometimes have 2 or even 3 circle-times going on in the same (not that big) room which works if it is a quieter activity, such as, the keys game. Could you try doing a short moving activity e.g. a tumble-tots action song at the beginning of the circle-time, followed by a quieter activity? Could you also ask different groups of children to sing or even 'perform' a song for the other children? We have also made up lots of actions up to nursery rhymes and often use musical instruments to make it a bit more exciting (a good reward for the best sitters!).

Green Hippo x

[Guest]

Our children usually sit on the floor but we do have a carpeted area. I was thinking of buying those round mats from IKEA for children to sit on when we take groups to different area which isn't carpeted. Also may encourage children to 'stay on their spot!'. We sometimes have 2 or even 3 circle-times going on in the same (not that big) room which works if it is a quieter activity, such as, the keys game. Could you try doing a short moving activity e.g. a tumble-tots action song at the beginning of the circle-time, followed by a quieter activity? Could you also ask different groups of children to sing or even 'perform' a song for the other children? We have also made up lots of actions up to nursery rhymes and often use musical instruments to make it a bit more exciting (a good reward for the best sitters!).

Green Hippo x

[Guest]

is there a song that goes with the keys song???

[green hippo]

No there's no song - it's a lovely calming game!

[Guest]

Try a game of 'statues', when you say freeze they all freeze like statues for a full minute

 

We've had it suggested by our EYA that we split the circle time into different age groups, so that the younger ones get to talk. We are still thinking about whether this will work staff wise for us.

 

We do:

 

news

stories

choices board

show and tell

 

If your children tend to mess around, don't keep them too long, and make the whole thing very interactive asking lots of questions, doing hands up, etc.

[Guest]

THANK you for suggestions,

 

I have suggested smaller groups however may need to re arrange the room.

[Guest]

THANK you for suggestions,

 

I have suggested smaller groups however may need to re arrange the room.

[Guest]

you could sat this to go with the keys game, isnt it funny how a bear likes honey, buzz buzz buzzz i wonder why he does does does, go to sleep mr bear. the child in the middle is the bear and when keys have been taken you all say wake up mr bear and when he picks some one if he is right then both children run round the circle , the bear has to try and catch the thief. then just swap over. its a bit different but still works if you have the room.